CANCÚN, Mexico — Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama has acknowledged taking trips on private aircraft, but strongly denied using public funds to finance them following a media investigation detailing hundreds of international flights taken by her and her inner circle.
In a video message posted to her official social media accounts on Tuesday, August 25th, the Morena party politician sought to clarify the origin of the private flights. Lezama stated that any private air travel she undertook was strictly for family reasons or related to her dual responsibilities as a public official and a mother, asserting that none of these expenses were covered by taxpayers.
“At times, I had to make private service trips that, of course, were never paid for with public money,” Lezama said, adding that as a public servant, her actions have consistently aligned with government ethical standards and regulations.
The governor’s response followed a news report analyzing migration records for Lezama, her husband Omar Terrazas García, her children, her brother, and former state official Eugenio “Gino” Segura between December 2018 and December 2025. The investigation reported a total of 605 entries and exits from Mexico involving the group, including 283 entries and departures registered via private aircraft.
Lezama pushed back against the figures presented in the report, calling the reported number of trips inaccurate and unrealistic. “The number of trips being handled is not real; it would mean being on vacation for an entire year, which would be impossible,” she argued. She also dismissed reports that she had shared private flights with Segura, labeling those specific claims as “totally false.”
The governor’s public address came shortly after President Claudia Sheinbaum urged her during a morning press conference to clarify the circumstances surrounding the flights. Sheinbaum emphasized that Lezama needed to explain whether private aircraft were used, who covered the costs, and under what conditions the travel occurred, while noting that media claims must be verified directly before conclusions are drawn.
Lezama, who took office as governor of the Caribbean coastal state in 2022 after serving as mayor of Benito Juárez (Cancún), reiterated her commitment to transparency, promising to maintain open communication regarding her conduct as head of the state government.
Source: Expansion
